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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26688295">puppy love and strawberry mochi</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/arktikos/pseuds/arktikos'>arktikos</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Childhood Friends, Childhood Memories, Comfort/Angst, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Puppy Love</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 04:07:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,146</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26688295</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/arktikos/pseuds/arktikos</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Making mochi with her daughter’s keeper hadn’t been on her list of things to do that day, but Ursa would never turn away a blessing from the universe. </p><p>or, mochi bringing out the best in people one sticky ball at a time.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Azula &amp; Ursa (Avatar), Azula/Ty Lee (Avatar), Ozai/Ursa (Avatar), Ursa &amp; Zuko (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>151</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>puppy love and strawberry mochi</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So, this was sort of supposed to be for the fruit prompt day and the free day for Tyzula Week, and I was hoping to post it during the fruit prompt day, but as y'all can see... that didn't happen. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys this little thing I whipped up. No beta so any mistakes are mine!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A soft, gentle sound of a rolling pin being thumped against hard wood, along with a light humming could be heard coming from the usually loud, bustling royal kitchens. It was odd not hearing the constant gaggle of the palace servants, but the weirdest thing of all was the royal that resided in an area where most royals never thought to set foot in.</p><p>Lady Ursa, the mother of Fire Lord Zuko and Princess Azula, smoothed away at some corn-starched rice dough; her hands and robes were smothered with pink splats and stains of her handiwork that laid in front of her.</p><p>Heaving a sigh and rubbing her brow with one of her sleeves, she busied herself with the sticky dough that was set out on her worktable.</p><p>The palace cooks sure made it look easy.</p><p>What she hadn't noticed was the pair of soft gray eyes that peeked at her through the entrance of the kitchen door. That is, until she turned to grab for a knife to start hacking at the dough that was sloppily rolled out on her cluttered workspace. Jumping slightly in surprise, breath catching in her throat and a hand grasping at her chest, she exclaimed, "Oh my goodness! You frightened me! How long have you been standing there?"</p><p>"I—not long," the teenage girl that stood at the doorway nervously replied, "I was just looking for one of the kitchen cooks."</p><p>The girl hastily swiveled on her heel and was about to scurry off, when Ursa sharply called out, "Wait!"</p><p>She paused at the door, her body conveying how much she wanted to make herself scarce. Ursa could tell the girl didn't want to stay and chat, but she recognized the girl as the one who had volunteered to be her daughter's keeper.</p><p>Slowly, the young girl turned and squeaked out a timid, "Yes?"</p><p>The girl almost reminded Ursa of a small mouse; a jittery, quiet thing. Dressed in a pink garb and cleaned of her usual face paint, she adopted a more innocent look. Far too innocent and young to be involved in the line of work she was in. It came as a surprise to Ursa that the petite girl had managed to stick around for as long as she had. Her daughter was no easy task.</p><p>"You're the girl that's been helping my daughter with her rehabilitation… one of those katana warriors, right?" Ursa prodded.</p><p>"Kyoshi, ma'am."</p><p>"Oh, I apologize," Ursa reached for a towel to wipe her hands of the sticky goo that clung to her fingers from her baking endeavor. "I'm not very good with names. It's also been difficult to adjust to all these new things and changes. So much has changed since my last being here at the palace."</p><p>The Kyoshi girl sent her an uneasy smile and shuffled from side to side; her hands interlocking behind her. "It's okay."</p><p>Tense silence befell the room, both woman at odds with how to proceed. They never really got along, or gave each other the time of day when they crossed paths around the palace grounds. In fact, they avoided each other like the plague. It was an unusual sight to have them in the same room having a normal, yet strained conversation.</p><p>The gray-eyed girl cleared her throat and opened her mouth, but before she could even formulate her thought, Ursa jumped in and blurted out, "How is she?"</p><p>The girl blinked. "I'm sorry?"</p><p>"My daughter—how is she?" Ursa inquired softly.</p><p>The young solider stared pensively at her. The once demure mouse melted away and uncovered a fierce weasel snake. It almost felt like she was nitpicking all of Ursa's faults and insecurities; studying her and learning all of her weaknesses. Ursa knew that look well. Her daughter gave her that same look everyday, albeit in a more poisonous fashion, but fairly similar nonetheless. Maybe Ursa had underestimated and judged the girl too quickly.</p><p>After her quick once-over of Ursa, the girl responded, "She's doing okay, Lady Ursa."</p><p>"You don't have to lie to me," Ursa said gently, sensing the warrior's hesitation to tell her the truth. "I'm her mother."</p><p>"Well, if you were really her mother you would know!" the Kyoshi Warrior snapped harshly. Her hand slapped itself against her mouth and her cloudy grey eyes widened in horror. The solider's face took on a pallor from fear and noticeable regret.</p><p>"I'm so sorry, Lady Ursa," the girl mumbled through her fingers.</p><p>Ursa could only heave a sigh. The girl had forgotten she was speaking to royalty, but Ursa wasn't about to throw her into the palace dungeon or banish her. She wasn't her ex-husband. Yes, the words had stung, but they carried some truth. While she had been physically present during most of her daughter's childhood, she had been neglectful; choosing to care for Zuko because of Ozai's clear favoritism for Azula. Her absence hadn't made matters any better. Ursa wanted to change that, but how could she be a mother to a girl who had no interest in having one to begin with?</p><p>Ursa studied the girl. She seemed oddly familiar. From her long brown hair tied into a braid, to her wide, steel gray eyes. The girl didn't really seem to be a Fire National. If Ursa hadn't known any better, she would've labeled her as an Air Nomad. Although, that was impossible, considering how Fire Lord Sozin had made sure to rid the world of all Airbenders. Well, all except one, but that was the Avatar. Ursa had met the Avatar in person and the girl in front of her clearly wasn't a seventeen year old boy with a flying bison for a sidekick.</p><p>Maybe she was from the Earth Kingdom. Who was this girl and what did she gain from aiding the rehabilitation of her daughter? Was there deeper reasoning to her willful assistance—possibly one with malicious intent? Ursa shook her head. Her paranoia toward the people who cared for her daughter was unnecessary. She knew this. She was aware they were trying to help her daughter heal, but the fear of something happening to her child caused desperate terror to cinch around her heart.</p><p>She had already lost her daughter more than once. She didn't know if her daughter could take anymore nasty surprises. Azula's mind was too fragile, and Ursa's heart was too bruised to handle anything more happening to one of her children—even if said child's harsh words and actions pummeled at her heart in wounding consistency.</p><p>Collecting herself, Ursa asked the question that had been on her mind since the Kyoshi Warrior had made her appearance in the royal kitchens, "What is your name, child?"</p><p>For a fleeting moment, the girl looked gobsmacked. Her eyes grew impossibly wide and her mouth hung open; opening and closing repeatedly. She'd appeared to have taken on the appearance of a Koi fish. Her astonished look gave Ursa pause. Why did the question startle her so? Was it wrong for someone to question the identity of a Kyoshi solider? Did they have rules on outing themselves to the public? How odd.</p><p>"Y-you don't remember who I am?"</p><p>Ursa incredulously replied, "Must I know the names of the Kyoshi clan by heart?"</p><p>The shock wore off quickly and was replaced by a giggle. Her innocent mouse mask was set back into place. It almost gave Ursa whiplash from the girl's constant fluctuation of emotions.</p><p>"You sound just like her," she tittered.</p><p>"I'm sorry?"</p><p>"Azula—you sound just like her."</p><p>Ursa blinked. No one had ever compared her to her daughter. Well, people often commented on how much they resembled each other in looks, but never in mannerisms. They would joke about how the royal family had hired some famous potters from the Earth Kingdom and had them sculpt Azula in intricate detail to make her appear like a replica of Ursa. It was a silly little fib the commoners had thrown around. It had been a blague at first, but some plebeians and nobles saw the royal family as gods. Ursa didn't have a single doubt there was most likely a few individuals who believed the fabrication. People could be so gullible.</p><p>Seeing her mildly confused face made the young warrior smile and teasingly jab, "I'm surprised you don't remember who I am, considering how much I would come over and play with Azula and Mai," the solider playfully chortled. "My name is Ty Lee, Lady Ursa."</p><p>"I—Ty Lee! Oh good heavens, I didn't even recognize you," Ursa exclaimed, taking a few steps toward Ty Lee, reaching up to grip at her shoulders tightly. "Look how much you've grown, child!"</p><p>"I'm not really sure I've grown at all, Lady Ursa," Ty Lee replied shyly, her hand coming up to tuck a strand of loose brown hair over her ear.</p><p>"Nonsense, you're almost as tall as I am! I can still recall the times when you hardly came up to my waist."</p><p>"Lady Ursa—"</p><p>"Call me Ursa, dear," Ursa requested, wrinkling her nose at the title. "Lady Ursa sounds so formal and stuffy."</p><p>Ty Lee relented. "Of course, La—I mean, Ursa." Ty Lee scratched her head nervously, mumbling, "That's going to be a tough habit to shake off."</p><p>"Come, come!" Ursa excitedly yanked Ty Lee toward her workstation. "I'm almost finished, but I would love an extra helping hand."</p><p>Reaching the wooden table, set out in front of the two woman, was a messy workspace. Baking tools were splattered with pink goop, the table's facet had white powder splayed around like a blanket of snow, and hacked off bits and pieces of strawberry ends were sticking to several random surfaces.</p><p>"What are you making?" Ty Lee asked, her face pulled into a grimace. Ursa paid her uneasy look no mind as she practically squealed, "Azula's favorite—Strawberry Mochi!"</p><p>"Oh."</p><p>"I tried to follow the cook's recipe, but I'm not sure I managed to get everything in order. This is my first time attempting this and let me tell you, the cooks make it look so easy!"</p><p>"I've made mochi before—with Mai and her mom. I know a few things."</p><p>"Thank the gods above," Ursa grinned, gesturing to the ceiling to punctuate her remark. "They saw me struggling with this challenging ordeal and decided to send you as my little helper!"</p><p>"Sure…" Ty Lee trailed off, repeatedly shuffling her weight from one foot to the other. Ursa could sense the girl's uneasiness, but that didn't stop her from handing her a few wads of pink colored rice dough and a rolling pin.</p><p>Both were silent as they worked. Each took a spot on the worktable; rolling the rice dough flat on the table's surface, working away the stickiness of the mochi dough with a slather of cornstarch and a twist of their rolling pin. When they both reached for the same knife to cut out the designated shapes of their dough, they pulled away quickly. It made Ursa a tad uncomfortable. The girl's nervous energy was bleeding into her once calm demeanor.</p><p>Ursa squared her shoulders and inhaled a calming breath. Coming to the realization that it was her daughter's old childhood friend hadn't made a difference in the task she'd set out to accomplish. She was determined to extract any information about her daughter from the solider. Ursa hungered for any news or knowledge of her daughter's wellbeing, and if she wanted to pluck any information out of the Kyoshi Warrior, she needed to be centered and collected.</p><p>Picking up the knife she had previously reached for, she sliced the pink dough into appropriate shapes; ready for some white bean paste and a strawberry to be plopped into place. Ty Lee had grabbed for another knife and followed suit.</p><p>"How are you enjoying your stay?" Ursa asked casually, trying a different approach with the quiet girl. If she displayed a nonchalant attitude, there was a large marginal chance the girl would spew all of her secrets. The girl had done that plenty of times when she was younger. If the noble girl was anything like she used to be, everything Ursa wanted to know about her daughter would come tumbling right out.</p><p>"It's fine."</p><p>"I trust everyone is treating you well?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"The Kyoshi Warriors live on an island, correct?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"Do you miss it?"</p><p>"A little."</p><p>"Do you miss your Kyoshi friends?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>By the grace of the gods, extracting information from the girl was like plucking out a tooth! The conversation was going nowhere and Ursa's patience was running on a thin copper wire. If the Kyoshi Warrior didn't want to willingly cooperate, Ursa would have to take a different approach. "If you miss your home and you miss your friends, why did you decide to stay here?"</p><p>"For Azula."</p><p>"Why?"</p><p>"She's my friend."</p><p>"Aren't the Kyoshi Warriors your friends, too?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"Then what difference does it make if my daughter is your friend or not?" Ursa noticed the way Ty Lee had tightened her grip on the knife she wielded and the way her brows knit together in evident anger. It was nice to see the young warrior had a chink in her armor, but how much would Ursa have to push to acquire the information she wanted?</p><p>Breathing deeply, Ty Lee answered airily, "Azula needs me more."</p><p>Ursa couldn't believe what she was hearing. Azula didn't need anyone who wasn't her family, and she certainly didn't need a girl like Ty Lee. What was the Kyoshi Warrior going to do—wave her petty little fans around to cheer her on?</p><p>"Forgive my bluntness, but I highly doubt my daughter needs you," Ursa pushed harder.</p><p>"You—I mean, Azula needs people who care about her," Ty Lee quietly gritted out through clenched teeth. Ursa could tell the girl was trying to keep herself in line, but Ursa was smarter than her. She could easily see through the girl's façade; it was cracking.</p><p>"She has plenty of people here in the Fire Nation who care about her."</p><p>"Do you really believe that?"</p><p>"Of course. The citizens of this nation have proven how much they care for their princess and wish for her to have a speedy recovery. They send gifts and heartfelt letters expressing their concern for my beloved daughter," Ursa paused momentarily to see if her words garnered a reaction from the girl, but Ty Lee stood stock still with the kitchen knife clenched around a white-knuckled fist. She continued, "Not only does she have her loyal subjects support, she has her family to lean on. Her family will always be there to care for her and protect her."</p><p>"Like her family was there when her mind grew corrupted and her spirit ripped at the seams?"</p><p>"From what I heard through the rumor mill, you were one of the causes of my daughter's descent into madness," Ursa cruelly snapped, her own anger seeping through from the girl's unnecessary accusation.</p><p>"She's not crazy!"</p><p>"No, she's not," Ursa plowed on, "but her mind did suffer a break because her so-called friends decided to betray her when she needed them most."</p><p>"She needed to be stopped! She was going to kill Mai!"</p><p>"You would choose a commoner instead of the Royal Princess of the Fire Nation?"</p><p>Ty Lee's lip trembled, her eyes reflected her anger breaking away into desperate sorrow. "No, I—no."</p><p>"Your actions speak for themselves, dear," Ursa sneered.</p><p>"You wouldn't understand." Ty Lee had looked down at the circular shapes of pink dough she had cut out, tears springing forth from her eyes. Ursa immediately regretted her verbal attack on the girl, cursing herself for letting her own emotions take the reins of her quiet investigation. She never meant to hurt the girl; all she wanted was to know more about her daughter. Maybe she was more like Ozai than she cared to admit.</p><p>"I apologize," Ursa struggled with her words. "I took my anger out on you and that wasn't appropriate."</p><p>Ty Lee remained silent, a few loose tears landing on the powdered wooden table.</p><p>Maybe some honesty would make her understand her motives behind her harsh words. "I was also trying to see if I could get any piece of information out of you about my daughter. I've been trying to get through to her since she returned to the palace months ago, and then you come in with your fans and swords and catch her attention without so much as a hello.</p><p>"She was so angry with you and she would constantly express her displeasure at having you as her caretaker, but now she smiles at you like you're her best friend. She barely gives me the time of day, but to you—the girl who stabbed her in the back—she receives with open arms."</p><p>The words seemed to flow out of Ursa like a rapid river, and with it came the realization that not only was she trying to extract information from the girl, but she was also trying to unwittingly hurt her. Ursa had known she had felt a smidge of anger whenever she saw the Kyoshi Warrior around the palace, or in the gardens whenever she took Azula out for her evening stroll, but she had never known where the resentment came from; or why she felt like she wanted to banish her from the palace and never have her set foot in the Fire Nation again.</p><p>Her newfound understanding caused cold shame to wash over her; guilt settled at the pit of her gut. Here she was, blaming a young girl for doing nothing but caring for her child—something she desperately needed—while being envious of her for acquiring her daughter's attention, and her success at extracting healthy responses from her. She was truly a horrible mother.</p><p>Not only did the realization address her unnecessary envy, but she also came to the conclusion she was being hypocritical. Here she was, accusing a young girl of betraying her daughter, when truly, she had the biggest part to play in her daughter's downfall.</p><p>Ursa had heard rumors around the palace—servants whispering amongst themselves—of her daughter's breakdown. They expressed their pity behind the royal family's back—how the young princess had been crying for a mother that wasn't there; accusing her of not loving her. It pained Ursa to know the extent of the damage her absence had made within her broken family, especially to her little girl.</p><p>Poking at the pink dough in front of her, she said, "I'm so deeply sorry for the way I have treated you. Not only for today, but for all the other times I've expressed my displeasure in you being here," she paused, clearing her throat from the tight knot that had formed there. Gathering her courage, she continued, "You have been such a blessing to my daughter and I can never thank you enough for your generosity and willingness to stay by her side."</p><p>Ty Lee stayed silent for a long time, and Ursa was afraid the girl would leave without addressing anything else. Would she walk away and take her daughter along with her? Would her daughter follow along and leave her family behind—leave her behind?</p><p>"I love her," Ty Lee's voice cracked.</p><p>Ursa blinked in surprise. "What?"</p><p>"I've always loved her," Ty Lee said softly. "From the first moment I laid eyes on her, I knew she was the only one for me."</p><p>Ursa had known the noble girl used to follow her daughter around like a lost pup; coming to her beck and call whenever Azula requested it of her. She recalled the many times the girl had looked at Azula with an almost starstruck expression, and she'd always had a slight inkling the girl may have had a small crush on her daughter, but she never thought much of it. She concluded it was nothing but a small crush; maybe a first love, or the more endearing term: puppy love.</p><p>"Please don't make me leave her."</p><p>The surprise from earlier morphed into confusion. "Why would I make you leave?"</p><p>"Because it's illegal."</p><p>For a flickering moment, Ursa was even more bemused. Loving her daughter was illegal?</p><p>"You know," Ty Lee said, her face expressing her discomfort at the topic, "it's illegal for girls to be together—the same thing for boys…"</p><p>It hit Ursa like a ton of bricks. Same-sex relationships were forbidden in the Fire Nation, as decreed by Fire Lord Sozin during his regime. Lord Sozin had proclaimed it was a crime against the Fire Nation to love or marry anyone of the same sex. It was an idiotic law created by an even more idiotic ruler, but it was Fire Nation law nonetheless. She would have to speak to her son on the matter and see if they could butcher the injudicious law once and for all.</p><p>Shaking her head, she said, "I would never banish you for loving someone, especially if what you say is true. Do you really love my daughter?"</p><p>"More than anything, Lady Ursa." Her grey eyes glittered with tears.</p><p>It was more than anything she could ask for. Azula was a difficult child, but that didn't mean she didn't deserve love and affection. She never truly received it, and Ursa knew she was partially to blame. If this young girl was willing to love her daughter unconditionally, who was she to get in her way?</p><p>Another thought occurred to her that caused her to chuckle. "I remember the day you were brought in to meet my daughter. You, along with your several sisters, came in that day while the entirety of the palace was up in arms looking for Azula."</p><p>"When the guards found her she was covered in muddy powder from head to toe!" Ty Lee giggled.</p><p>"It was cornstarch from the mochi she had stolen from the kitchens!" Looking down at the sweet confection they had been working on, she laughed. Azula had always had a sweet tooth, and she always favored mochi more than any other sweet dessert. Ironically, the specific mochi they were assembling was the very same one she had taken from the kitchens that day.</p><p>"Is that what it was?" Ty Lee guffawed. "You told her to give me that pink mushed thing that was clenched in her fist that day—was that what that was?"</p><p>"I—oh my goodness, yes. I'd almost forgotten about that!"</p><p>"I didn't know what to do with it, so I kept it in my pocket for several days! No wonder it grew mold; it was a gift from the princess and all I could think about was how it was an offense to the crown to throw it away!"</p><p>Ursa could not contain the deep bellied laughter that sprouted from her lips.</p><p>"My mother gave me a good spanking because of it, too," Ty Lee groaned in mock disgust.</p><p>"Oh no!"</p><p>"I was so sad to throw it away because pink was my favorite color, and I couldn't imagine why I'd toss Azula's gift away."</p><p>Growing serious, Ursa probed, "You loved her then?"</p><p>"Always."</p><p>"You know, when both of you were younger, I suspected something of the sort," Ursa picked up where she had stopped with the mochi and started plopping in some white bean paste to her sections of cut out rice dough.</p><p>"Really?"</p><p>"Oh yes," Ursa nodded, a bit smug to have confirmed her earlier suspicions. "You looked at my daughter as if she had hung up the moon and stars."</p><p>"It sure felt like it," Ty Lee said shyly. She followed Ursa's lead and reached over to the bowl of white bean paste, scooping and settling some of it onto her patches of pink dough.</p><p>"Truthfully, I always thought it was a fleeting thing. Possibly an overreaction to her royal status, or puppy love."</p><p>"Puppy love?"</p><p>A smile pulled at the corner of Ursa's lips. "A childhood crush."</p><p>Heaving out a long sigh through her nose, Ty Lee reaffirmed, "I think it started out as an overreaction and then jumped to a crush—or puppy love, as you put it—but the more I spent time with her, the more I grew to actually love her," Ty Lee shrugged and smothered more paste onto her cuts of mochi dough. "Sure, she was mean sometimes, but in her own Azula way, she always apologized. At least, she always apologized to me. She never once said sorry to Mai."</p><p>"Never?"</p><p>"No, never," Ty Lee smiled sadly. "That always used to make me feel sort of special."</p><p>"Why?"</p><p>"It made me feel like she loved me too."</p><p>Ursa dropped her spoon and looked up at Ty Lee. "You don't think my daughter holds any romantic feelings for you?"</p><p>"You may see her smiling at me and laughing, but she doesn't do that all the time," Ty Lee trailed off dejectedly; wiping some of the bean paste from the spoon she was holding with her index finger. Continuing in a melancholic tone, she said, "She pushes me away and says hurtful things sometimes; calls me a traitor and a liar. She's thrown countless brushes at my head in just this week alone, and she repeatedly tells me to go away."</p><p>The revelation shocked Ursa. It'd appeared like Azula had taken a liking to Ty Lee and treated her differently from everyone else, but to hear Ty Lee reassess the situation was another thing entirely. Not everything was as it seemed, apparently. At a loss for what to say, she kept quiet.</p><p>"I mean, she has her good days and her bad days, but the bad days are the ones that are really draining sometimes," the Kyoshi Warrior tiredly trudged on, her emotional exhaustion bleeding through her words. "I stay because I love her, but sometimes I don't know how much more I can take before I actually decide to fulfill her wishes."</p><p>"Don't give up on her," Ursa blurted out gently.</p><p>"Believe me, I don't want to give up on her, and I don't think I will, but sometimes there's only so much you can take, you know?" Ursa knew that better than anyone else, but Azula was her daughter. She had quit on her before, and that was one of her biggest regrets, but she was here now and she wasn't planning on quitting on her this time around.</p><p>"Have you told her that you hold romantic feelings for her?"</p><p>At the slight change of direction the conversation had swerved into, Ursa could see the war Ty Lee was battling in her mind through her stormy grey eyes. The turmoil made her look much older than she really was—or was it the years of war she had lived through? Ursa concluded it had to be a mixture of both.</p><p>"Do you think she'd ever believe me if I told her that I'm in love with her," Ty Lee croaked. "She still blames me for the part I played in the war. She thinks I betrayed her because I loved Mai more than I ever 'feared' her, but truthfully, I did it to save her from herself. I just love her so much, and the thought of losing her kills me!</p><p>"If she'd gone through with her plans, she wouldn't have forgiven herself. Azula is a lot of things, but killing one of her close friends… she wouldn't have come back from something like that. Do you know the worst part of it all—the thing that haunts me most nights and wakes me up in a cold sweat? I still failed. In the end, I lost her and I don't know how to get her back."</p><p>The guilt that previously sat at the pit of Ursa's gut sat heavier than ever. How had she been so blind as to not see the girl's obvious devotion? She had thought the worst and misjudged the girl's intentions. The girl was in love and it was clear that she would do anything for Azula.</p><p>Ursa whispered in amazement, "I—you saved my daughter."</p><p>"I'm sorry?" Ty Lee blinked up at her in bemusement.</p><p>Ursa rounded the table, abandoning her work once more. She reached out to Ty Lee and grasped her cheeks, dusting her visage in a white flurry of powder from the cornstarch on her hands. "You beautiful, marvelous girl," she whispered. Tears sprout from her eyes and fell heavily unabashed. "You're right, she wouldn't have come back from that. I've done the unspeakable myself, and it still haunts me to this very day. How could I ever think you betrayed my daughter when you put your life on the line to save her?"</p><p>"I did it because I love her."</p><p>"Yes, yes you do," Ursa nodded tearfully. She grabbed Ty Lee by the shoulders and pulled her into a bone crushing embrace, making sure to squeeze her tight to express her gratitude, and to also convey her remorse for her earlier actions. Both women were shaking from sobs; one was shedding tears of relief and the other from possible sorrow. Ursa didn't know, but one thing was certain—they needed to work together to construct her daughter anew; they were going to fix her.</p><p>Pulling away, her hands grasped at Ty Lee's sticky, wet cheeks. She wiped the tears away and gave her a watery smile. "We will work together, you and I, to heal my daughter. We will teach her happiness and bring her peace."</p><p>"You think that's possible?" Ty Lee hiccoughed.</p><p>"Anything is possible with love, my dear," Ursa patted her flushed cheeks and picked up some of the sliced strawberries that were lying on the counter. "Now let's finish these, shall we?"</p><p>They set out to finish their task. Both nobles grabbed a handful of strawberries and began setting a berry on the bean paste filled mochi, leisurely laboring away with light sniffles and blurry eyes from their previous tear-fest.</p><p>The silence that had descended while they worked was broken when Ty Lee requested, "Tell me of the day when Azula stole mochi from the kitchens—the day she met me. Why did she take it when she could literally have anything she wanted?"</p><p>"Oh, she wasn't allowed any sweets before dinner, but that didn't stop her," Ursa chuckled, pausing to grab more strawberries. She continued, "She was such a mischievous child. Always breaking things, constantly playing jokes on her brother, and going against the rules that I tried so very hard to enforce for the sake of not upsetting her father or Lord Azulon."</p><p>"It sounds scary to live under the same roof with those two."</p><p>"It was, but I got used to it after a while." Ursa shuddered at the thought of the previous rulers of the Fire Nation, and how she managed to live with such toxic men for several consecutive years. "Although, I sure am relieved I no longer have to associate myself with those horrible men."</p><p>Ursa remained silent for a moment, thinking their conversation had simmered down, but she caught Ty Lee's expectant stare. It was clear she was waiting for more; maybe a quick retelling of the day was in order. She requested for Ursa to tell her more of Azula's mochi thieving incident, after all.</p><p>"Do you really want to know more of that horrid day?" Ursa asked with a twinkle in her eye.</p><p>"Was it really that bad?"</p><p>"No, but I do recall having to scrub Azula clean of all the powder and sticky paste she had on herself—Ozai was furious." Ursa sighed, and looked at their nearly finished product; not as good as the palace cooks, but close enough. She remembered the day vividly as if it'd happened yesterday, so recalling the memory wasn't going to be difficult. Smiling in resignation, she picked up her patches of dough to start the molding process and said, "Very well, story time it is—</p><p>"It started on the hottest day in Fire Nation history and it felt like I was going to melt off the surface of Caldera…"</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>91 AG</em>
</p><p>The Fire Nation had been known to be a place of tranquility and seriousness—well, that was until a certain raven-haired princess was born. Before the princess had made her debut in the imperial palace, things had been rather dull and silent. Now, the days were filled with squeals of laughter and the occasional sound of a priceless antique crashing to the marble floor of the royal palace. The servants could hardly keep up with the spit-fire tornado that was known as Azula.</p><p>The current day had been oddly quiet and uneventful, and Ursa was bound to make the most of the sudden rare serenity that blanketed the evening.</p><p>Ursa was ungracefully plopped down beside the turtle duck pond, her shoes cast aside so she could feel the cool grass beneath the soles of her feet. Her hands raked gently through the soft, green grass—the odd cooling stimulation bringing on a peculiar crisp sensation. It almost filled her with vitalizing youth, in a sense.</p><p>Caldera City, the burning heart of the Fire Nation, was always a bit too hot in her opinion. Hira, the small village she had resided in previously before coming to the capital, was of a much cooler temperature. Presently, the day had turned out to be one of the hottest in Fire Nation history, and how she wished she was back home on Hira. On scorching days such as these, the capital made her long for her childhood home more than she usually did.</p><p>Although, the heat wasn't the only reason she yearned to be back home. She missed her family and friends; even on the cooler days when she got a bit of a reprieve from the usual sweltering heat. She had been closed off from the world and sentenced to live a life of solitude and isolation. Ozai had made sure she had cut off all ties with her old life. Life of a Fire Nation princess was a rather lonely affair. She would not wish it on her worst enemy.</p><p>The sticky humid heat of Caldera City only made her covet her home even more. The hot weather of the capital was unbearable. Even Zuko, who was born and bred in the center of it all, had some trouble with the suffocating heat.</p><p>Said boy was sprawled by the turtle duck pond, one hand taking a dip in the murky water. His small hand swished back and forth, occasionally falling into a fit of quiet giggles. Ursa had asked him what was so funny, to which he responded with a tittering laugh and a soft mumble, "It tickles."</p><p>Ursa had been confused by his response, but quickly figured out that the recently hatched tadpoles that resided in the pond were nipping at his wrinkled fingers. It was late spring, after all.</p><p>Her other more rambunctious child had scampered off, expressing her boredom and displeasure with the activities her mother and brother decided to do for the rest of the evening.</p><p>Azula could never sit still.</p><p>Seeing Azula dart away had set Ursa on edge and she immediately took the necessary precautions and called over a few nursemaids, sending them out to trail after her daughter. She knew that if Azula was on her own, chaos was bound to ensue in her wake. She didn't think another vase or painting could take another hit of her whirlwind of a child, and Lord Azulon was getting suspicious of some of the antiques that had mysteriously gone missing. The man was old, but he wasn't blind.</p><p>Azulon regularly scolded Ozai and told him to reign in his children, which then led to Ozai reprimanding her and telling her to do a better job at watching over her children. Not their children, her children. Ozai made sure to specify he took no part in their upbringing.</p><p>Ursa could only sigh. The Fire Nation royal family was an exhausting bunch.</p><p>While trying to clear her mind of the negative notion that was brought on by thinking of her husband, a palace handmaiden scurried down the walkway of the courtyard; her hands bunched at the red fabric of her robes in what appeared to be anxious anticipation.</p><p>So much for peace and quiet.</p><p>"Your highness," she stammered, bowing shakily with a fist touching her palm. "One of the Fire Nation's noble families has arrived. The one with with the seven daughters."</p><p>Ursa's brow furrowed in bewildered astonishment. "I'm sorry, did you say seven daughters?"</p><p>The maid nodded eagerly, albeit in noticeable nervousness—her hands twisted continuously at the cloth of her robes. "Yes! The one Prince Ozai requested for, Lady Ursa."</p><p><em>'</em><em>She's wrinkling it,' </em>Ursa thought with a wince, eyeing the way her hands clung to the soft, velvety fabric of her clothing. Shaking her head from her judgmental thoughts, Ursa expressed her befuddlement at the servant's response, "Why would Ozai request for a family with seven daughters? Is he trying to assemble a circus?"</p><p>Ursa could hardly suppress her smile. The thought of Ozai amongst the circus folk was the most humorous thing she'd conjured up all day. Would he be part of the audience or would he jump at the chance to be one with the circus' acrobats? He certainly had the dramatic flare to perform the latter.</p><p>"No, your highness," the girl broke Ursa from her comical thoughts of Ozai running through fiery hoops in a leotard. "The family is here because Prince Ozai wants Princess Azula to pick out one of the girls. Well, upon his approval, of course…" the girl blathered on, but Ursa could only focus on how young the handmaiden was. She was far too young to be working as a servant; she should've been applying herself to far more productive things. Possibly getting an education and adventuring out into the unknown, not wasting her life away—Ursa's wandering thoughts came to a screeching halt. Curse her heat addled brain for not focusing harder on what the girl was saying.</p><p>Catching on to what the girl had previously stated before her mind began to wander aimlessly, she incredulously exclaimed, "I—for what?"</p><p>The girl flinched; gosh she was a skittish thing, wasn't she? "P-prince Ozai requested for Princess Azula to be well taken care of at the Royal Fire Academy for Girls. The one she will be attending in a month's time, Lady Ursa."</p><p>"I swear on the gods, that man and his incessant meddling are getting on my last nerve."</p><p>Ursa could hardly believe Ozai was pushing for Azula to have a bodyguard while she attended a private academy that assured the high security protection it had for all its students. What had Ozai been thinking when he requested an audience with this family? What would a five year old know about deadly female soldiers? Her child could barely dress herself, much less pick out a personal lethal companion. The man had gone mad.</p><p>"Where is my daughter?" Ursa huffed out angrily.</p><p>The handmaiden's face went as white as sheet of paper. Looking as if she were trying to swallow a watermelon, she wobbly replied, "Y-you see, your royal highness, we were playing hide and seek and she—"</p><p>"Just spit it out, girl!" Ursa's words were that of a venomous two-headed viper; deadly and without mercy. The girl's wide doe eyes suggested her apparent distress and Ursa immediately regretted her outburst. Being from the Fire Nation equated to having a nasty temper and Ursa always desperately tried to tamper it down ceaselessly. Usually she was better at keeping a level head, but the scorching heat hadn't helped salve her temperament.</p><p>Zuko had also been shaken out of his own peaceful bubble when he overheard her sudden outburst. He turned and stared at her in mild shock. It was probably a rare sight for him to see his mother in such an aggravated state. She was normally very serene, especially around her children—although, on occasion, she would reprimand Azula for misbehaving—and to see her lash out or yell at anyone was likely something foreign to him. She supposed, in Zuko's eyes, he'd only ever seen her as a gentle spirit—even to his loathsome father.</p><p>Her son's lingering, worried gaze had her reaching within herself to gather her bearings and find some inner peace. Her eyes fluttered closed as she took it upon herself to go through the motions of some common breathing techniques. Inhaling… and exhaling; repeatedly going through the exercise for a minute or two while the handmaiden stood in frightened silence.</p><p>Ursa knew the girl wasn't at fault for her husband's thoughtless decisions. He always dictated every aspect of his family's life, so it shouldn't have come as a surprise that he chose to get a guard for her daughter's stay at the academy. She hadn't expected it since he never pushed for Zuko to have one himself when he was sent to the Royal Academy for Boys.</p><p>It angered her that Ozai was playing favorites, but the thing that made her blood boil the most was how he continuously played puppeteer with her youngest; yet, she knew she was being unfair. She let her rage get the best of her and lashed out at the person who least deserved it. Not only had she spooked the girl, but she also alarmed her son.</p><p>"I apologize," Ursa said gently, "please continue."</p><p>Clearing her throat and licking her lips, the girl croaked out timidly, "We can't find her, Lady Ursa."</p><p>The servant's words broke any sense of repose she had gathered with her earlier breathing exercises. The words shook Ursa to her core and caused everything around her to come to an abrupt stop, and all Ursa could do was close her eyes and mutter a string of curses under her breath.</p><p>All she wanted was one uneventful day, was that too much to ask?</p><p>…</p><p>"Would you like us to inform the guards and have them look for her outside the palace grounds, Lady Ursa?"</p><p>They had searched every nook and cranny, looked through every room and secret passageway of the royal palace, but her daughter was no where to be found. In the beginning of their search, Ursa was ready to breathe fire and give her a good spanking, but now all she wanted was to find her unruly child.</p><p>Knowing that Ozai would probably find out about this little incident if she sent the guards out to look for Azula, she declined vehemently when the servants had brought it up earlier. Now, she knew she had to face reality. It'd been two hours of this fruitless search with no indication as to where her youngest had run off to.</p><p>Her imagination started to conjure up poisonous scenarios in her head. What if Azula had gone down to one of the more violent districts and injured herself? What if someone from the Earth Kingdom had been waltzing around and saw Azula without anyone to guard her or protect her and decided to snatch her away? What if a Water Tribe plebeian had been around in disguise and decided to take revenge on what the Fire Nation had done to their people by doing the same thing to her precious daughter?</p><p>The many possibilities caused a lump to form in her throat and tears welled up in her eyes. Desperation laced her voice when she rasped out a small, "Yes."</p><p>The servants quickly set out to search for the nearest guard and inform them that the princess was missing; and what was once a small knit group of palace staff, was now an army of guards and servants at the ready.</p><p>Not a minute had passed before Ozai came storming in, electricity practically sparking around his wispy beard. It would've been humorous if not for the dire situation and how he seemed to be frazzled at the news of his missing daughter. It was stupefying to see Ozai look so unkempt. He went and grabbed Ursa by the arm, causing her to suppress a squeak of discomfort. "I told you to watch the children, Ursa. Now my heir is gone, and if she's dead, you too will follow in her stead. For your sake, you better pray to your precious gods that she's alive and well."</p><p>Pushing him away in a fit of anger, she spat at him, "Iroh is next in line, then Lu Ten will take the throne."</p><p>"My father will change his mind soon enough, and then I will be crowned Fire Lord."</p><p>"Even if he did change his mind, which I highly doubt, Zuko would be next in line for the throne—he's the eldest of the two, and it would be his birthright."</p><p>That probably wasn't the smartest thing to say, but Ursa was enraged. Here he was, lusting for power and willing to claim that he was going to take the throne from his brother while their daughter was missing, and if not missing, something far more sinister. Her fury also derived from his manifestation of her quiet fears. What if Azula did turn up dead? She didn't know what she would do if her youngest ended up being next in line for the royal burning funeral pyre. Ursa would probably jump right into the flames with her and let the fire consume her out of grief and devastation.</p><p>Ozai scoffed, brushing off her quiet jab. "Spare me. Considering how far behind he his on his firebending training, I highly doubt he'll be able to light the throne room with a single spark. His birthright is forfeit."</p><p>"Your daughter is missing and all you can think about is who will take that stupid throne?"</p><p>"Say what you want, Ursa, but if Azula turns up dead, I can guarantee your head will be next in line for the executioners block."</p><p>"Go to hell."</p><p>Ozai chuckled cruelly. "You're rather daring today, Ursa, but I'll forgive your rudeness and write it off as desperation. After all, your life is hanging by a single thread of hope on whether your daughter is alive or not."</p><p>"How could you ever think I would be desperate for my own miserable life when my daughter could be in a ditch somewhere being pecked on by sea vultures? I would gladly sacrifice myself a hundred times over if it meant my daughter would be alive and well within the safety of her own home."</p><p>"Human beings are selfish creatures. We are greedy, fickle things that are willing to stop at nothing to achieve absolute power and survive. It's basic human instinct," and with that final thought, he patted her cheek with his bony fingers and trudged away, but not before throwing over his shoulder, "Oh, and I took it upon myself to choose the girl who will accompany Azula to the academy—she's waiting around in the visitors lounge. If Azula turns up, make sure to have them properly introduce themselves, then have Azula report to me after she's done. I will be the one to hand out her punishment for her insubordination."</p><p>The white hot anger that burned like an ember within Ursa was flooded with horror and fear at his parting words. Ozai never involved himself with their children. He never once offered to discipline Azula or Zuko, and Ursa was filled with terror at what he had in mind for her little girl. What kind of sinister punishment did he have planned?</p><p>"He's mean," a small voice came from behind a pillar.</p><p>Ursa whipped around at the sound, hoping it was somehow the voice of her daughter. To her dismay, a little girl with big gray eyes peeked at her through long lashes. Seeing another child around the imperial palace, who wasn't any of the royal children, was outlandish. Who was this girl and where were her neglectful parents?</p><p>She hadn't realized she'd said those words aloud until the girl surprisingly answered by introducing herself. "I'm Ty Lee and my momma and poppa are outside waiting for me to finish saying 'hi' to the princess," the small child happily replied, springing up from her obvious hiding spot and giving Ursa a small bow. At least the girl had manners.</p><p>"Why would your parents leave you here to do such a thing?"</p><p>"I'm her new friend!" Ty Lee bounced in place eagerly. "My momma said so."</p><p>Ursa was stumped. A new friend? Azula didn't have any friends. Her children were as closed off from the world as she was—or had she been negligent enough with Azula that she had not realized she'd made a new friend; with a commoner, no less. No, that wasn't possible. Even though Azula ran around the palace and occasionally kept the servants on their toes, Azula never left the palace grounds; unless it was with Ursa and Zuko, and Azula was hardly ever ecstatic to do so anyway.</p><p>Yet, Azula was no where to be found today. Had she made a new friend in some unknown escapade without anyone knowing of her whereabouts? No, Ursa refused to believe that was the case. She was a better mother than that.</p><p>The girl, Ty Lee, had remarked that her mother had said Azula was her new friend. Ursa came to the conclusion the girl came from a family of loons. Ursa forced a smile that likely looked more like a grimace and said, "I'll call the guards right away to have you escorted to your parents, dear. They must be very worried. You can't run off and just enter a stranger's home, child."</p><p>"No wait," Ty Lee flailed her hands wildly in front of her. "The mean prince told me to stay in the waiting room and if he finds out that I left, he'll be mean to me like he was to you."</p><p>"The mean prince?" Ursa parroted back in question.</p><p>"Yeah, the mean prince, but please don't tell him I said that. He's really scary!"</p><p>"You mean Ozai?"</p><p>Ty Lee nodded sheepishly.</p><p>"I—Ozai told you to wait in the visitors lounge, is that correct?"</p><p>"Mhm."</p><p>"Then that would—you're not a solider," Ursa dumbly pointed out, feeling foolish for her earlier presumptions.</p><p>The child gave her a puzzled look and opened her mouth to respond, but before she could make out any words, a guard burst from the entrance of the room looking exceptionally frazzled, yet delighted. His generally clean uniform was marred with mire and soot; his face was equally grimy. He grinned from ear to ear and announced what Ursa had been anticipating all evening, "We found her, your highness," as if summoned by his words, distant angry shouts and commands from a child-like voice could be heard in the nearby corridor, demanding to be released.</p><p>Azula had been found.</p><p>"Put me down you big, ugly hog monkey," she shrieked in outrage. Soft thumps and whacks joined along the chorus of shouts the closer Azula and her captor neared the room. Azula was furious, and she was using the poor man who was in charge of brining her to her mother as her personal wooden dummy.</p><p>The sight was something to behold when a short, stocky man lumbered into the room with a pint-sized girl squirming and yanking at his singed hair—most likely courtesy of Azula—his face covered in light scratches, and his clothes caked in a thick layer of mud. It looked like the man had gone to war with a mongoose dragon and lost terribly.</p><p>Azula was another matter entirely. Her daughter didn't have a single scratch or bruise on her, but she was absolutely filthy. From the top of her tangled raccoon-crow's nest to the bottoms of her muddy shoes, she was covered in a layer of gunky white powder. It looked like she wrestled a pastry spirit; and by the looks of the sides of her mouth, smeared with an oddly familiar sticky pink substance, she'd won that brawl.</p><p>Ursa darted to the humorous looking pair and snatched Azula from the guard's grasp. She gathered her up into her arms and seized her in a hug that rivaled that of a platypus bear. She didn't care if Azula was a dusted confectionary treat that stained her spotless robes; she was just glad to have her little girl back. She peppered her head and face with soft pecks, expressing her relief and happiness at having Azula safe and under her watchful eye once more.</p><p>"Mom, stop it!" Azula tried to push away from Ursa's steel grip, but to no avail. Ursa wouldn't budge.</p><p>Cuddling her to her chest, Ursa looked up at the two men who stood awkwardly to the side, awaiting to be addressed and dismissed. "Where did you find her?"</p><p>The man that had taken on the majority of her daughter's abuse, cleared his throat and chuckled lightly. "One of the cooks found her asleep in a cabinet, sleeping off her recent dessert heist," he shook his head in amusement, "but when they reached to grab her, she woke up and scampered off. They had to call us over for backup, and when we got there, she gave us a good run.</p><p>"She lead us outside and we got caught up in the rain—basically had us running in circles—slipping over ourselves in the sludge from the downpour. After chasing her for several yards, I managed to wrangle her up by one of the fountains outside, but not before she gave me the fight of my life."</p><p>It was just another day at the Fire Nation Royal Palace.</p><p>"Thank you," Ursa smiled apologetically. "I'll let my husband know of this and have him inform your lieutenant of your usefulness; possibly a pay raise is in order. I do apologize for what my daughter has put you through today—all of you."</p><p>"She sure makes our job interesting, but that's just how most children are. The little tyke was just having some fun," the guard with the singed head of hair teasingly smiled in Azula's direction, "but next time don't use me as target practice, okay?"</p><p>"Don't call me a tyke, you dimwitted—" Ursa covered her mouth and shushed her. "That's enough, Azula," she waved her hand dismissively to the guards and with a quick respectful nod, they were on their way.</p><p>Once the men were out of earshot, Ursa set Azula on the floor and kneeled down to her level; locking her hands on her shoulders in a possessive manner. Ursa's jaw hardened and a scowl adorned her features, but her face quickly slipped into a semblance of defeat when Azula avoided her gaze, her golden orbs to the floor. Azula probably suspected Ursa would reprimand her for her unruly actions, but Ursa didn't have any plans to do such a thing. If Ozai was truly going to take Azula's punishment into his own hands, her daughter didn't need any salt added to the possible metaphorical wound she would gain from that experience.</p><p>Glossing over her child's disheveled appearance, her eyes couldn't help but land on her clenched fists. There, in both palms, a sticky pink substance was practically being strangulated by her five year old's hands. Curious, Ursa reached to grab one of her hands and chuckled. Of course her daughter had swiped the dessert that was meant to be served that evening. It was her favorite, after all.</p><p>"If you wanted some mochi, all you had to do was ask," she whispered in amusement.</p><p>"You would've said to wait. You always make me wait!"</p><p>"Sometimes you have to wait for the best things in life, my dear," Ursa tapped her daughter's powdered button nose, "but I would've preferred giving it to you instead of having you take the palace on a wild goose chase."</p><p>Azula's lips formed into a pout but didn't push the subject any further. Ever the impatient child, Azula never liked to wait for anything; especially when the wait got in the way of her sweet tooth. The kitchen cooks had to constantly make extras of whatever dessert was being served for the day because of a certain rambunctious princess.</p><p>"Let's get—"</p><p>A crash sounded in the corner of the room, shaking both royals from their quiet moment. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," the child from Ursa's prior peculiar exchange squealed out apologetically—Ursa had nearly forgotten she was there. "I'll clean it up; I promise!"</p><p>"No, it's fine." Ursa rubbed at her forehead in clear annoyance. Taking a deep breath, she shook away her irritation. It was just another vase to the amassed collection of razed antiques she would have to conceal from Lord Azulon. One more wouldn't hurt. "I'll have one of the servants clean it up."</p><p>"You always yell at me when I break things," Azula muttered under her breath.</p><p>"You do it on purpose."</p><p>"Not all the time!"</p><p>"Most of the time."</p><p>"No."</p><p>"Yes, you do."</p><p>Azula huffed, crossing her arms petulantly. "It's not my fault everything is so old here."</p><p>Ursa ignored her grumpy daughter and turned to the girl who had kneeled to pick up the pieces of the vase she'd knocked over and shattered. "Ty Lee, was it?"</p><p>"Yes, ma'am," Ty Lee went ramrod straight, almost tripping over herself with how fast she stood from her kneeled position. If the girl was as clumsy as she appeared, and if she was meant to be Azula's companion, the palace wouldn't survive the year. Her head pounded at the thought.</p><p>Turning to her daughter, she gave her a light push in the direction of the clumsy girl. "Azula, this is Ty Lee. She will be attending the academy with you and has been chosen to accompany you on your journey to your new school."</p><p>"I was supposed to choose," her daughter twined.</p><p>"Well, if you hadn't wandered off and disappeared, you would've had a say in the matter."</p><p>"Father told me I could pick whoever I wanted."</p><p>"Well, your father chose for you and you will respect his decision." She inwardly winced at her own words. Ursa hadn't wanted to mention Ozai, but Azula only ever listened to him. His word was law in the eyes of her youngest. "Now go on—say hello to your new friend."</p><p>Azula's expression turned sour. "I don't want to."</p><p>Not being offended in the least, Ty Lee bound up to Azula and waved her hand excitedly. "Hello, I'm Ty Lee! Do you wanna do cartwheels with me?"</p><p>"What's a cartwheel?" Azula asked, a puzzled expression marring her powdered features. Her burning golden gaze, which had been focused intently on Ursa, leapt to the cheerful girl in front of her. Piercing gold eyes met gentle gray ones; two clashing opposite forces. One looked on in judgmental arrogance, while the other stared in stupefied wonderment.</p><p>Shaking her head out of her apparent reverie, Ty Lee gaped at her and stuttered, "Y-you don't know what a cartwheel is?"</p><p>Azula's nose stuck up in indignation. "I'm the princess and princesses don't take part in peasant-y things such as 'cartwheels.'"</p><p>"It's a lot of fun, though! I can show you how do one, if you'd like?" Ty Lee shyly scuffed her shoe on the marbled floor. She wasn't deterred by Azula's pompous attitude, it seemed. Ursa found she was oddly relieved at the notion. Maybe having a friend would help Azula socialize and become an amiable child.</p><p>Azula hadn't always had such a nasty temperament. Ever since Ozai took her under his wing for some additional firebending training sessions, she'd adopted an unkind and callous attitude toward the palace staff, her brother, and even Ursa herself would take the blunt of her insensitive disposition from time to time. Ty Lee looked like a friendly child, and she wasn't intimidated by her daughter—quite the opposite, in fact; the girl looked mesmerized—with the girl's bubbly personality, perhaps she'd be a good influence on her daughter.</p><p>"I don't—"</p><p>"That sounds lovely," Ursa interrupted Azula, fully aware of the way Azula had scrunched her nose, indicating she was ready to dish out whatever insult she had in mind. Ursa made sure to shut that down quickly with her interference. "Why don't we all go to the visitors lounge and have some tea with those teacakes you love so much, Azula?"</p><p>Ursa hadn't forgotten what Ozai had ordered her to do. The girls were to only go through swift introductions, and Azula was meant to be sent over to her father to receive her punishment. Ursa wasn't about to send her daughter to the dragon's den that easily. No, she would extend Ty Lee's visit and have Azula spend some time with her new friend. If she could help it, she would avoid sending her daughter to that horrible man.</p><p>Azula perked up at the mention of a sweet dessert. "Teacakes?"</p><p>"Well, maybe just a small slice for you since you decided to raid the kitchens for sweets," Ursa looked down at the squished wads of mochi in Azula's hands and nodded in Ty Lee's direction. "Speaking of sweets, why don't you share what you have there, darling?"</p><p>Azula looked down at her fists in wonder. Had she forgotten about her pilfered goods? The excitement of the evening likely played a part in her minor slip. She jutted her lip out in a pout. "But they're mine."</p><p>"Yes, but you have two and you can spare one for your new friend."</p><p>"Do I have to?" She whined. Ursa gave her bottom a light affectionate swat, pushing her closer to the other girl. Azula frowned and rubbed her bottom, turning to glare at Ursa momentarily, before turning her attention back to the sprightly girl. Begrudgingly, she stuck out her hand and looked away from the girl in displeasure. "My mom said to give this to you," she grumbled lowly. "So here."</p><p>"I—thank you, princess!" Ty Lee exclaimed, her gray eyes shining in mystified wonder. She gave a slight bow before reaching for the pink blob eagerly. Her response clearly pleased Azula, because her face broke into a small, smug smile—although her smugness disappeared when she asked in an almost shy, uncharacteristic fashion, "So… how do you cartwheel?" It was so unlike her usual behavior.</p><p>A good influence indeed.</p><p>The question lead them to the visitors lounge where piping hot tea and lemon curd teacakes were served. Unfortunately, those delectable treats, along with Azula's stolen strawberry mochi, were all abandoned on the table by the giggly girls who decided to practice their flips and tumbles on the soft, red carpet of the lounge.</p><p>It took a bit of coaxing to get Azula out of her shell, but she quickly adapted to Ty Lee's cheerful personality and joined along in merrily enjoyment. They spun in circles as they grabbed each other's hands and sung childish nursery rhymes. It was the happiest and most genuine Azula had ever been.</p><p>Ursa wished she could capture the moment in someway, but alas, she could only keep it in her memories…</p>
<hr/><p>"… was Azula ever given her punishment?"</p><p>"Hm?" The question broke Ursa from her trance brought on by bittersweet memories. They were bittersweet because they reminded Ursa of how happy and carefree her daughter used to be. There was no vying for the throne, or resentment of family, or the haunting mental anguish that dragged her daughter on rare occasions. No, there was only childish delight and wondrous excitement for adventure.</p><p>"You said that Ozai was going to punish Azula for what she did… was she ever punished?"</p><p>"I—I'm not sure," Ursa stammered. After recounting her story, and losing herself in her poignant memories, she'd forgotten about that minor detail. Ozai had been the farthest thing from her mind.</p><p>Ty Lee tilted her head to one side, her brow scrunched in obvious befuddlement. "What do you mean?"</p><p>Ursa shook her head and looked down at the last patch of dough she was folding in her hands. "I'm not entirely sure what happened, but something must have transpired. Azula didn't misbehave for weeks after her little thieving incident."</p><p>Not only had she not misbehaved, but the palace had been the quietest she'd ever witnessed it being since prior to the birth of her daughter. There was no squealing around the halls or the scuttle of small feet hitting the marble floor. There was a chilling, abnormal silence that befell the imperial palace for several consecutive weeks. She hadn't given it much thought, and like a fool she'd relished in the peace and quiet. How could she have ignored her daughter's odd behavior? The realization of her ignorance was just another mark amassed to the long list of tallies that labeled her as a horrible mother.</p><p>"I hate him," Ty Lee said, conviction seeping into her words. "I'm glad he's rotting away in a cell."</p><p>Ursa had to disagree. Prison was too merciful of a punishment for what he did to her children. Zuko had his face branded and was banished from his home for years, and Azula was manipulated and mentally wounded by his upbringing. In different ways, both carried scars from that monster; both were still reeling from the repercussions. "He should be hanged for his crimes, and tortured for what he did to my children."</p><p>Ty Lee nodded her head in agreement, but said nothing as she worked on her own nearly formed mochi ball. Even though the girl was a warrior, she was far too virtuous to wish anyone harm or death. Her fighting techniques spoke volumes of her morality. She would rather paralyze or render her enemies immobile than to maim or quash her adversaries with a killing blow. She was the perfect balancing mass for the figurative justice scale that was required to balance out her rowdy daughter.</p><p>"There," Ursa puffed her chest out proudly, interrupting the sullen atmosphere with her exclamation. She set down the last mochi blob she'd been laboring on, settling it on top of the tray where the rest of the disfigured ones lay. "I think that's all of them."</p><p>Ty Lee swayed her head from side to side in amused disagreement, her morose mood slipping away, and set her own mochi piece on top of the stack, practically puffing up like a peacock when she stated, "Now that's all of them."</p><p>The gratifying moment didn't last. A pudgy guard came panting down from the nearby hallway and stood by the entryway of the kitchen. He leaned down and gripped his knees, trying to catch his labored breathing while holding a finger up in a gesture that signified his need for a moment. Trying to gather his mien, he cleared his throat, stood, and bowed hurriedly. "The princess," he wheezed, "she wanted to—wanted to go out to the lake… and took off."</p><p>"What!" Ty Lee cried out in alarm. She started for the door and Ursa gripped at her arm tightly, stopping her from ramming headfirst into a situation that clearly needed some much needed explanation. Ursa pointedly asked the portly guard, "Did she go alone?"</p><p>The man uttered in a rasp, "No, she took a few guards with her, but they told me to inform Lady Ty Lee of her departure."</p><p>Ty Lee reached for her chest in noticeable relief, but her face expressed her worry and distress. It was understandable. Azula never strode out of the palace grounds without highly trained professionals to watch her every move. Even when her family was around to watch over her, guards trailed after at a distance, ready to subdue her incase of a spontaneous attack, or if she decided to bolt.</p><p>In Ursa's opinion, it was highly unnecessary to treat her daughter like some sort of enemy of the state. She was the Princess of the Fire Nation for crying out loud! The princess was to be treated with honor and respect.</p><p>But alas, Ursa didn't have much say in the matter. Her son had been adamant when he'd tried to reassuringly tell her that the extra security measures were a requirement, at least until Azula showed signs of progress in her rehabilitation. He would then think about lifting some of the restrictions, but in the mean time, it was guards posted at every corner of the palace, and guards and royals alike sharing awkward family meals in the dining hall. It was utterly absurd.</p><p>Rubbing Ty Lee's back with a comforting smile, she said, "Why don't we go out to the lake and share some of these treats with Azula?"</p><p>That seemed to perk the Kyoshi Warrior right up.</p><p>Reaching for a small wooden box at the lower level of their worktable, Ursa began to place a few pieces of their handiwork inside the container. Each disfigured ball of rice dough was stationed in a neat little row. Closing the lid of the box with finality, she nodded to Ty Lee to signify she was ready to trek down to the lake.</p><p>The guard lead them to the lake for most of their journey, but once they neared their destination, Ursa waved him off with a brisk swish of her hand. The guards could be so clingy sometimes.</p><p>It wasn't hard to miss where her daughter was located, considering the flock of guards that stood at the ready a few feet away from her. It was a ridiculous sight, and one that grated at Ursa's nerves. Looking at Ty Lee, her own face was set in a scowl. Ursa supposed she too found the number of guards to be rather excessive.</p><p>Stopping a few yards away, on the bottom of the hill leading to the lake, Ursa outstretched her hand, offering the wooden box to the Kyoshi Warrior, and smiled reassuringly at Ty Lee's bemused expression. "I think it's better if you go and share these with her." Ursa stared longingly at her daughter, who sat with her knees to her chest, and back facing away from them, watching as the light waves lapped at the foreshore of the lakeside. "She trusts you more than me."</p><p>"But we made these together…"</p><p>"Yes, but I don't think she's ready to have me around—at least not right now; not yet. Perhaps some other time." As much as Ursa wanted to stay and be with her daughter, she knew Azula wouldn't appreciate her being there. She would have to ease into it, but today was not the day to do such a thing. Maybe next time she would work in a 'hello' or a 'goodnight' and then work from there. Baby steps.</p><p>"I—"</p><p>Ursa patted her shoulder lightly and nodded in Azula's direction. "Go on… don't keep her waiting."</p><p>Ty Lee's muddled expression morphed into one of determination, and with a nod, she reached for the wooden box, grasped it tightly to her chest, and was on her way; trekking down the grainy sand dunes leading to the beach with a purposeful spring to her step.</p><p>She watched as Ty Lee bound up to Azula and happily plopped herself down. Her daughter startled out of her noticeable reverie and her mouth formed into the makings of a small smile. They exchanged teasing jabs and laughed at whatever silly thing came up in conversation. When Ty Lee pulled out a ball of strawberry mochi from the wooden container, they were solemn and whispered amongst themselves at the possible memories the sweet treat had dug up. It was one of the first things that united them, after all.</p><p>As she gazed at the scene before her, she had a moment of clarity that had her lips tugging upwardly at the corners of her mouth. It may not have been noticeable to anyone else, but Ursa knew better, and the noble girl may not have realized it yet, but a mother always knew when her children were in love, and her daughter—her daughter was completely enamored.</p><p>Ursa regarded both girls silently, a quiet observer watching the beauty of a blossoming first love becoming a permanent true love. Not every person who experienced puppy love had the opportunity to watch it grow into something everlasting. That kind of love needed to be cherished and well taken care of. It was a blessing.</p><p>With that final thought, seeing how the girls had cuddled closer to one another, and feeling like she was encroaching on a private moment, Ursa started making her way up hill—deciding it was time to go back to the palace for some piping hot tea, and if the palace cooks had any lemon curd teacakes… well, that would be a perfect ending to a very productive day.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>And that's it! I honestly don't know why I wrote this in Ursa's pov, but I think I was still reeling from my last fic. Fun fact, this story was created 'cause I was craving mochi one day and then bam! this fic was born! Don't know why I needed to add that tidbit, but whatever lol. I hope you guys enjoyed!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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